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6 Mar 2015

Papiss Cisse accepts spitting charge; ...banned for 7 matches

Papiss Cisse was banned for seven games for his part in the spitting storm that also involved Manchester United defender Jonny Evans.

Evans himself is facing a ban of six matches if found guilty after the Football Association charged both men.

The incident came during United’s 1-0 win at Newcastle on Wednesday night when the pair spat at each other following a first-half tangle.

Both Newcastle striker Cisse, who admitted the charge, and Evans released statements on Thursday in which they disagreed on the intent behind the disgusting scenes.

Bizarrely, Evans claimed he was shocked by the allegations and protested his innocence. Cisse responded by apologising but said he was provoked when Evans spat at him.

Indeed, Sportsmail understands that Cisse is furious that the Northern Ireland international has not admitted his guilt, and is adamant the defender spat at his leg.

And Cisse will inform FA disciplinary chiefs that Evans intentionally spat at him when questioned about the incident.

Having conceded he was wrong to react by spitting in Evans’s face, Cisse will be fined a week’s wages of around £40,000 by Newcastle, who will now be without their 11-goal top scorer until May.

FA rules were changed in the summer to bring them in line with FIFA guidelines which state a player found guilty of spitting at an opponent will be suspended for six games.

However, Cisse has already served a three-match ban for violent conduct this season after elbowing Everton’s Seamus Coleman and as a result will be hit with an additional one-game suspension. He will not return until the final three matches of the campaign.